WORLD of MUSIC

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 11 July 1925, Page 7

WORLD of MUSIC

Jt is interesting to note that, according to Mr Verbrngghc.il, “one of tlie most popular pieces placed b\ the orchestra is the transcription of Alfred Hill's ‘Waiata Hoi.’ This is m continued demand, not only mi Miiineapolis and St. Paul. lint in all the cities on tour.” Dame Clara ltntt and Mr Ivonnerley Rnniford gave a Varcuoll concert at the Albert Hall before leaving on a world tour, a cable message from London states. They Intel a rapturous reception in a crowded hall. The last part of the concert was broadcast, and had a remarkable reception in all parts of the country, even the calls of the audience for favourite songs such as “The Keys of Heaven” being perfectly heard. . During the course of Ins tour ot the world. Mr William Heughan has travelled to many out of the way countries in completing his tally of 60.000 miles since June. 1923. Tt is of interest to know that in India he and Ids party “during four months spent there tombed points so far apart ns Trichinoplv. Southern India. and Uandi Kotal. in the Khyber Pass, the north-west, the latter a trip which had to lie made under military escort, because of the perils of the journey. Tt was only at the earnest request of the Seaforths. stationed at the outpost. that the concert party decided to visit this part of India.” ODE R A TIC SOCIETY. The rehearsal for “The Toreador” on Thursday evening was one of the best the society has yet had, and the musical director is very pleased with the progress shown. Members are beginning to know their parts so well that they are mostly able to dispense with the scores. The chorus is strong, especially in sopranos and altos, while the number of tenors and basses- is also very satisfactory. All concerned in the management of the opera are very well pleased with the progress made, and look forward confidently to a fine performance.

•‘HIAWATHA'S WEDDING FEAST.” This very beautiful cantata, by Coleridge Taylor, forms the choral performance to be given under the auspices of the Hawera Male Choir, and will be their next concert. They have got together a fine chorus, strong in all parts, the number totalling nearly 80. Under their conductor. Mr Clement Howe, they are making capital progress. and the chorus numbers are going very well indeed. The orchestra will number about 20. Honorary members and the musical public may look forward with confidence to a fine concert. MUNICIPAL BAND. The afternoon performances in the Opera House on Sunday afternoons are very well attended, and are- having the effect of further nopularising the work of the band. They played in capital style last Sunday, and this was the theme of much complimentary remark. But the collections taken do not much more than pay the expenses incurred. As the band is a community institution and is doing excellent work for the town, the committee hope that the public who listen to their playing will realise that funds are required for urrent expenses and for the purchase of new instruments, and will be as liberal as possible. COMP ETITIONS FESTIV A 1,.

UNDER HAWERA MALE CHOIR. Ever since the first s mal] competition festival the movement has attracted the public interest and drawn good entries from many parts. Last year two days were necessary, and in consequence of tlie continued favour of the people and the wide extent of country from which entries have been drawn, the committee resolved to extend in all directions. The list of classes therefore this year numbers forty-five, and this will give scope for all intending competitors. 1. Instrumental covers piano, violin and' any brass instrument and brass quartette. 2. Vocal music comprises action song (children), girls’ song, boys’ song, soprano, alto, tenor bass vocal duet and quartette, children*,. chorus and choirs. 3. Elocution.—Recitations all kinds, monologues, impromptu speeches, reading at sight, dialogue, story without words and humorous stories It will thus be seen that the competitions are certain to secure a heavy entry and to be popular with everyone .JUDGING. So far the judges are not appoint,, except for elocution. In that uie judging is left to Air. A. Stanley Warwick, ol Wellington. The high reputation of Air. Warwick is shown by the fact that lie has been chosen as chief adjudicator (elocutionary) for Ballarat competitions, one of the largest in Au« tralia.

The Hawera Alale Clioir and specially f.'iieir executive responsible for the competitions Alessrs. F. W. Horner, J. W. Velviu and H. E. Ciessey, are to be congratulated on the programme which has been drawn up for t.ne tliree days—August 18. 19 and 20. It is felt certain that the competitions of 195” are- going to be a huge success The official accompaniste will be Atiss Joll, wel] known as one of the best in the district. And lastly the time for receiving entries is up to Wednesday, August 12. The remaining judges will be selected very soon and will be duly announced. A GREAT FEE. Madame Galli-Curci i s receiving something like £25.(J09 for her thx-ee months tour of Australia and New Zealand, a sum which figures out in the vicinity of £IOOO a night. It i-. said that the great soprano get s £'. <».- 000 for .singing one song l'or ;t gramophone company. “IE Tll-O V ATONE.” ITS HISTORY. In view of the performance of a part of this fine opera at the next concert by the Hawera. Orchestral Society, the story of the O'pera- may he of interest to many listeners. A precis of the story iis as below:

What is supposed to have happened before the curtain goes up on the opera is as- follow*: —The old Count- di Luna, some time deceased, had two sons nearly of the same age. One night, when they were still infants and asleep in a nmuse's charge in an apartment in the old Count’s castle, a gypsy hag, having gained stealthy entrance into the chamber, was discovered leaning over the cradle of the younger child, Gama. Though she was instantly driven’ away, the child’s health began to fail, and she was believed to have bewitched it. She was pursued, apprehended and burned alive at the stake. Her daughter, Azucena,

at that time a young gypsy woman with a child of her own in her arms, was a witness to the death of her mother, which she swore to avenge. During the following night she stole into the castle, .snatched the younger child of the Count di Luna from its cradle, and hurried back to the scene of execution, intending to throw the baby boy into the flames that still raged over the spot where they had consumed her mother. Almost bereft of her senses, however, bv her memory of the horrible scene she had witnessed. she seized and hurled into the flames her own child, instead ol the young Count. Thwarted for the moment in her vengeance. *Azuoena was not to be completely baffled. With the infant count in her arms she lied and rejoined her tribe, entrusting her secret to no one. but bringing him up —Manrieo. the troubadour —as her own son ; and -always with the thought that through him she might wreak vengeance upon Ins own kindred. When the opera opens Manrieo has grown up; Azueena has become old and wrinkled, but is still unrelenting in her quest of vengeance. The old count has died, leaving the elder soil, Count di Luna of the opera, sole heir to his 'title and possessions, but always doubting the death of the younger, despite the heap of infant hones found among the ashes about Hie stake. “After this preliminary knowledge” we now come to the actual business of the piece. Manrieo bo-eo-mes a TCnight Troubadour, and by his gallant deeds wins the heart of Leonora. who is beloved by his brother, the Count di Luna. The two knights, not knowing themselves to be brothers, become deadly enemies. Leonora, in despair, retires- to a convent. Manrieo ennies down with his followers and carries her off. His foster-mother, the gypsy, is captured by the count- and condemned to be burnt. Manrieo tries to rescue her. and is himself captured. Leonora comes to the prison where he is kept. She hears the “'Miserere” sung for someone about to die : she concludes that- it is Manrieo. and goes at- once to tlie Count di Luna and- offers to- nmrrv him if he will release Manrieo. He does so. She then take« rtoison. and begs of Manrieo te- fly. Ho refuses to live without her. and -she falls down at his feet dead. Tlie Count di Luna, finding that Leonora loved the Troubadour orders bis execution, and v drags the gvpsv woman from her cell to see it. 'she +'ies to- toll him somethin", bntbe will not listen. As soon as the axe f alts she says. “Manrieo was thy brother !” A -selection from this beautiful opera will be clayed bv the Hawera, Orchestral Society at its concert which is to bo bold in the Opera: House next Thursday.

A LOST ART. IMPROVISATION Whv has the art of extemporisation gone out so completely? In bygone da vs no self-respecting pianist giving a performance considered that he had done his duty if be did not display his powers in dealing with a theme provided by the audience, and everyone lias read of course of tlie feats of such masfer s as Bach. Mozart, and Beethoven in this way. There was. for instance, Bach’s famous contest with Marchand. a boastful Frenchman, to whose vanity he administered wholesome corrective. At a concert at Dresden Marchand had won great applause by his brilliant extemporised variation,; on a French air. Bach, who was in the audience, was then invited to try his hand, and he proceeded to repeat all Marc-hand’s variations and to add to them twelve others of his own of infinitely greater beauty. He further informed March;) nd that he was prepared to perform anv musicial task which he chose to set him if he. Marchand. would accept the same obligation. Marchand whose overbearing and vain-glorious character had made him very -popular. accepted the challenge. and all were made for the contest. When the time arrived. however, the Frenchman failed to appear, inquiry elicited the' fact that he bad- departed hastily the same morning for Paris! HANDEL AND MOZART.

Handel's wonderful powers in tins respect drew attention to him at a very early period of his career. And these powers he retained to the end of his days, so that in the case of hi.s organ concerto*, it was his habit, more often than not, merely to sketch in the organ part, leaving it with serene confidence to the inspiiation ol the moment to supply all else that was required. As for Mozart, he excited amazement even as a child by his incredible achievements under this head. and later he. too. frequently engaged in friendly keyboard combats with his contemporaries. On one of these occasions his rival was dementi. the famous Italian virtuoso, who was invited while on a visit to Vienna in 1871 to play against him. dementi started with a sonata of his own. Mozart following with some variations. Some manuscript sonatas of Paisiello were then placed on the desk and both alternately read movements at sight; and finally they were asked the Kmperor Joseph 11., who was present, to take a theme from one of these sonatas and improvise on it in turn while the other accompanied, on a second piano. In the end the honours were declared, on this occasion, to be divided. BEETHOVEN v. WOELFFL./ Even more memorable were some of the contests of the same order in which Beetlidven took part. In one which caused a great stir liis opponent was Woelffl, a famous pianist of the day. This took place at the house of a wealthy amateur, Baron von Wetzlar, and in this case -also two artists improvised in turn upon themes provided by the host with results which one can well believe were astonishing. As to Beethoven’s improvisation in general many eloquent accounts have been left by those who heard him.

“His extemporisation.” said Czerny, “was most brilliant and striking, in whatever company he happened to be he knew how to produce such an effect upon his hearers that frequently not on eye remained dry. while many would break out into loud sobs.” Among more recent composers no one excelled more in this line perhaps than Mendelssohn, of whose amazing facility many astonishing stories are narrated. One, for instance, tells of three different cadenzas which he improvised on the same day when playing Beethoven’s G major piano concerto with the Philharmonic Society —the first two at rehearsal in the morniqg and the third, totally different from’either of its predecessors, at the concert itself.—. John O’ London’s Weekly.